362 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



of the difficulty in its then organization of ma- 

 king another choice. 



Mr. Edmund Ruffin of Hanover was then 

 nominated and unanimously elected President. 



The following officers were then successively 

 elected 



Vice Presidents. 



1. John R. Edmunds, of Halifax. 



2. WlUoughby Newton, of Westmoreland. 



3. Lewis E. Harvey, of Amelia- 



4. Thomas L. Preston, of Washington, 



5. William M. Tate, of Augusta. 



6. William Townes, of Mecklenburg. 



7. G. S. Meem, of Shenanhoah, 



8. William Massie, of Nelson. 



ExeciitivG Committee. 



1. Willianj Boulware. . 



2. William H. Richardson, 



3. Jeremiah Morton, 



4. R- H. Dulany. 



5. James B. Newman. 



6. AYilliam C. Knight. 



7. Hugh M. Nelson. 



8. WiiliaiTi M. Radford. 



9. William G. Crenshaw. 

 10. F. G. Ruffiin. 



Sea^etanj and Treasurer. 

 Charles B. Williams. 



Mr. Ruffin, of Hanover, moved that the con- 

 stitution be so amended, that no member of the 

 State Agricultural Society, who is in arrear of 

 payment of his dues to the Society for one en- 

 tire year or more, shall be counted in fixing the 

 amount of representation in the Farmer's As- 

 sembly of his county or town ; which was on 

 motion laid upon the table. 



Mr. Marshall, of Charlotte, moved that the 

 Constitution of the Society be. so amended that 

 the executive committee shall have power to fix 

 by resolution the time and place of all elections 

 for members of the Farmers' Assembly; which 

 was, on motion, laid upon the table for the ac- 

 tion of the next Assembly. 



On motion of Mr. Randolph, of Albemarle, 



Resolved, That when this Assembly adjourns, 

 it will adjourn to meet again at 9 o'clock to-mor- 

 row morning. 



On motion of Mr. Randolph, the Assembly 

 then adjourned. 



THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 1856. 



The Assembly met agreeably to adjournment, 

 and was called to order by the President. 



On motion of Sherwin McRae, of Henrico, it 

 was 



Resolved, That the General Assembl}^ of Vir- 

 ginia, at its next session, be requested to furnish 

 to the executive committee of this Society as 

 many printed copies as it may find it convenient 

 to publish, of the Documents and Reports of 

 the late Board of Agriculture. 



The resolution offered by Mr. Edmund Ruffin 



of Hanover, and laid upon the table on yester- 

 day was taken up, and being opposed by Mr. 

 Edmunds of Halifax, it was again laid upon the 

 table for the action of the next Assembly, agree- 

 ably to section XI. of the Constitution ; a por- 

 tion (jf which section is in the following words, 

 to wit: 



"Amendments to this Constitution may be 

 niade by the unanimous vote of the Farmers' 

 Assembly at any annual meeting ; or if offered 

 at a prior annual meeting, then by a two-thirds 

 vote of the members in attendance. 



On motion of Mr. Randolph, of Albemarle, 

 Resolved, That the executive committee of this 

 Society be requested to take the necessary steps 

 to collect through the Secretary or otherwise, 

 all the agricultural addresses, essays, and other 

 papers relating to agriculture that have been 

 delivered in Virginia which they may deem 

 worthv, with a view to their preservation and 

 reiTubllcation if hereafter determined on by the 

 Society. 



The following resolution was offered by Sher- 

 win McRae of Henrico, to wit : 



Resolved, That the Constitution of this Socie- 

 ty be amended by the insertion of the following 

 as one of the articles thereof : 



There shall be a Board of Agriculture elected 

 by this Assembly, composed of persons drawn 

 from the four great local divisions recognized in 

 the late constitution of this State, the powers 

 and duties of which shall be .prescribed by the 

 President of this Society. The members of this 

 Board shall be ex-officio members of this As- 

 sembly, and shall receive for their attendance 

 and mileage such compensation as this Assem- 

 bly may prescribe ; which was, on motion, laid 

 upon the table for the action of the next Assem- 

 bly, agreeably to article XI. of the Constitution. 



On motion of E. Ruffin, Jr., of Prince George, 

 it was 



Resolved, That so much of the President's re- 

 port as refers to the laws respecting fences or 

 enclosures and trespasses on lauds be submitted 

 to the executive committee with directions to 

 examine into the bearing of the same on the in- 

 terests of agriculture in Eastern or any other 

 portion of Virginia, and report to the next Far- 

 mers' Assembly such recommendation as may 

 be deemed proper and expedient. 



The following resolutions offered by R. W. N. 

 Nowland, of Albemarle, was read, and on mo- 

 tion, laid upon the table, viz : 



1. Resolved, That with a view to the collec- 

 tion and diffusion of agricultural information, 

 this Assembly recommend to the executive com- 

 mittee the organization of a corps of agricultu- 

 ral commissioners, whose duty it shall be to col- 

 lect and forward to the office of the secretary of 

 the Society, agricultural statistics, accounts of 

 experiments made, the condition and estimate of 

 growing and unsold staple crops, and such other 

 useful agricultural information as may be with- 

 in his reach. 



2. That there ' should be at least one such 



